diff -up system-config-printer-1.4.1/newprinter.py.utf8-962207 system-config-printer-1.4.1/newprinter.py
--- system-config-printer-1.4.1/newprinter.py.utf8-962207	2013-05-09 12:10:43.000000000 +0100
+++ system-config-printer-1.4.1/newprinter.py	2013-05-21 17:20:20.852036184 +0100
@@ -1632,7 +1632,7 @@ class NewPrinterGUI(GtkGUI):
 
     def on_entNPName_changed(self, widget):
         # restrict
-        text = unicode (widget.get_text())
+        text = unicode (widget.get_text(), locale.getpreferredencoding ())
         new_text = text
         new_text = new_text.replace("/", "")
         new_text = new_text.replace("#", "")
@@ -2516,7 +2516,7 @@ class NewPrinterGUI(GtkGUI):
             allowed_chars = unicode (allowed_chars, locale.getpreferredencoding())
         except UnicodeDecodeError:
             allowed_chars = unicode (allowed_chars)
-        origtext = unicode (entry.get_text())
+        origtext = unicode (entry.get_text(), locale.getpreferredencoding ())
         new_text = origtext
         for char in origtext:
             if char not in allowed_chars:
@@ -3881,9 +3881,10 @@ class NewPrinterGUI(GtkGUI):
             self.dec_spinner_task ()
 
         if self.dialog_mode in ("class", "printer", "printer_with_uri"):
-            name = unicode (self.entNPName.get_text())
-            location = unicode (self.entNPLocation.get_text())
-            info = unicode (self.entNPDescription.get_text())
+            enc = locale.getpreferredencoding ()
+            name = unicode (self.entNPName.get_text(), enc)
+            location = unicode (self.entNPLocation.get_text(), enc)
+            info = unicode (self.entNPDescription.get_text(), enc)
         else:
             name = self._name
 
diff -up system-config-printer-1.4.1/printerproperties.py.utf8-962207 system-config-printer-1.4.1/printerproperties.py
--- system-config-printer-1.4.1/printerproperties.py.utf8-962207	2013-05-09 12:10:45.000000000 +0100
+++ system-config-printer-1.4.1/printerproperties.py	2013-05-21 17:20:20.853036185 +0100
@@ -683,6 +683,9 @@ class PrinterPropertiesDialog(GtkGUI):
 
         old_value = old_values[widget]
 
+        if type (old_value) == unicode:
+            old_value = old_value.encode (locale.getpreferredencoding ())
+
         if old_value == value:
             self.changed.discard(widget)
         else:
@@ -1034,9 +1037,10 @@ class PrinterPropertiesDialog(GtkGUI):
                 for member in old_members:
                     self.cups.deletePrinterFromClass(member, name)
 
-            location = self.entPLocation.get_text()
-            info = self.entPDescription.get_text()
-            device_uri = self.entPDevice.get_text()
+            enc = locale.getpreferredencoding ()
+            location = self.entPLocation.get_text().decode (enc)
+            info = self.entPDescription.get_text().decode (enc)
+            device_uri = self.entPDevice.get_text().decode (enc)
 
             enabled = self.chkPEnabled.get_active()
             accepting = self.chkPAccepting.get_active()